Employment Outlook for Computer Network Architects

Employment of computer network architects is projected to grow 6 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Demand for computer network architects will increase as firms continue to expand their information technology (IT) networks. Designing and building these new networks, as well as upgrading existing ones, will create opportunities for computer network architects. The expansion of healthcare information technology will also contribute to employment growth.

Adoption of cloud computing, which allows users to access storage, software, and other computer services over the Internet, is likely to dampen the demand for computer network architects. Organizations will no longer have to design and build networks in-house; instead, firms that provide cloud services will do this. Smaller firms with minimal IT requirements will find it more cost effective to contract services from cloud service providers. However, because architects at cloud providers can work on more than one organization’s network, these providers will not have to employ as many architects as individual organizations do for the same amount of work.

Job Prospects

Applicants with relevant certification should have better prospects for positions in which specific hardware or software knowledge and expertise is preferred.

Typical Pay for Computer Network Architects

The median annual wage for computer network architects was $101,210 in May 2016.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $55,610, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $158,590.

In May 2016, the median annual wages for computer network architects in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Wired telecommunications carriers

$107,830

Insurance carriers and related activities

107,420

Management of companies and enterprises

103,890

Computer systems design and related services

103,020

Educational services; state, local, and private

62,390

Most computer network architects work full time. About 1 in 4 worked more than 40 hours per week in 2016.

What Computer Network Architects Do All Day

Computer network architects design and build data communication networks, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and Intranets. These networks range from small connections between two offices to next-generation networking capabilities such as a cloud infrastructure that serves multiple customers. Network architects must have extensive knowledge of an organization’s business plan to design a network that can help the organization achieve its goals.

Duties

Computer network architects typically do the following:

Create plans and layouts for data communication networks

Present plans to management and explain why they are in the organization’s best interest to pursue them

Consider information security when designing networks

Upgrade hardware, such as routers or adaptors, and software, such as network drivers, as needed to support computer networks

Research new networking technologies to determine what would best support their organization in the future

Computer network architects, or network engineers, design and deploy computer and information networks. After deployment, they also may manage the networks and troubleshoot any issues as they arise. Network architects also predict future network needs by analyzing current data traffic and estimating how growth will affect the network.

Work Environment for Computer Network Architects

Computer network architects held about 162,700 jobs in 2016. The largest employers of computer network architects were as follows:

Computer systems design and related services

26%

Wired telecommunications carriers

8

Management of companies and enterprises

7

Insurance carriers and related activities

5

Educational services; state, local, and private

5

Computer network architects spend most of their time in offices, but occasionally work in server rooms where they have access to the hardware that make up an organization’s computer and information network.

Work Schedules

Most computer network architects work full time. About 1 in 4 worked more than 40 hours per week in 2016.

How To Become a Computer Network Architect

Education

Computer network architects usually need at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or a related field. Degree programs in a computer-related field give prospective network architects hands-on experience in classes such as network security or database design. These programs prepare network architects to be able to work with the wide array of technologies used in networks.

Employers of network architects sometimes prefer applicants to have a master’s of business administration (MBA) in information systems. MBA programs generally require 2 years of study beyond the undergraduate level and include both business and computer-related courses.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Certification programs are generally offered by product vendors or software firms. Vendor-specific certification verifies a set of skills to ensure network architects are able to work in specific networking environments. Companies may require their network architects to be certified in the products they use.